I thought it might be fun for us to describe how our fiddles sound and feel to us. Be as terse or prolix as you like! Feel free to describe multiple fiddles, if you play more then one regularly.
Main fiddle - Scott Cao bench made Strad Hellier copy - Very rich, especially the low end and mid-range, lots of overtones and powerful. High end is also quite good, but is very dependent on the strings I use on it, currently working my way thru 2 dozen different E strings to find the one that works and sounds best with this fiddle. Its very responsive, as a result it is not very forgiving at all, because it demands really precise bow work and it also makes errors in intonation very glaring (which in turn makes me pay extra attention to both). This fiddle loves aggressive attack and is really loud. Lots of sonority. Its gotten some notoriety in the local jam sessions because of that! It blends with itself well - when you hit a double stop just right, it really sings. Only down side is it does not like cold or damp conditions and is the only fiddle I have that is noticeably affected by sudden temperature changes.
Tong Tong - Bench made Chinese I bought at the workshop in Jiangsu province when I was there 10yrs ago. Almost as good sounding as the Hellier, but with less balls. It has a sweeter high end, and a wider separation then the Hellier and is more forgiving, not being as focused. It really strikes me now as more of a classical use violin then a fiddle.
Hans - unlabeled fiddle from 1873, I've been told its from the Tyrolian area. That date was written on the back of the fingerboard. This was my main fiddle for over a decade, and when played regularly it makes a pretty good fiddle, broad sounding, not terribly focused but pleasant. Chunky. Hans problem is it takes a substantial amount of playing in order to wake it back up. I think it would greatly benefit from having Burt Royce re-graduate it to lessen the plate thicknesses and really free up the tone. Hans is one of the easier playing fiddles I have.
Old Woman - unlabeled Baroque style fiddle - carved scroll, carved back plate and maple bordered fingerboard. I've only had this one for a few months. Its tone is thin, expected because of the thicker backplate, but its really pleasant sounding, especially the high end. Sweet and playing soft, pretty passages seem to be this fiddles forte'. Its very easy to play and forgiving to a great extent. A very different tone bank then the others, when we get back into the studio and I start to multi-track fiddle parts, this is the one I will use as the second fiddle because its tone is so different then the others. Double stops are easy on this fiddle and blend well, though it doesn't have that 'singing' attribute that the Hellier does.
Old Man - I won this fiddle at Fiddle Hell last year. Its got a superior carved scroll, and, for a fiddle that was supposedly used by a famous street fiddler in New Orleans, is in remarkable perfect condition! Not crazy about the tone, which is dark and fat, even the high end. Its not particularly responsive and lacks 'bite' when I play it. It will be the third choice for multi-tracking because its tone is so different from the others.
Sundry electric fiddles - well these sound as good as your sound man can or cannot make them. The Barcus-Berry fiddles are easy to play, the older Hoffner one more so then the newer, cheap Chinese one. The solid body Keebler sounds like crap no matter what EQ you throw at it, despite having a Barcus system installed on it, weighs a nautical ton and is hard to play as well. If it didn't look like a Klingon Bird-of-Prey battle cruiser, I'd get rid of it.
I have multiple fiddles as well, but want to mention one in particular. It is a Scott Cao 950 Lord Wilton.
It has tons of flame on the back, sides, and neck. It can be quite loud so I have changed from medium Helicores to a Kaplan non-whistling E with medium Pirastro Tonicas for the A, D, and G. An online ad I found for this violin is that it is not very forgiving. And to me it shines more on single notes than double stops.
It has taken me awhile to get used to this violin, as I have threatened to sell it. But the comfortable neck, the overall beauty of the instrument, and the tone of single notes have me keeping it. It is still loud at times, but is less cutting with the Tonicas.
" Describe the sound and feel of your fiddle ! " ..... A voice.
Hmmmm .... I have two fiddles I play and several that languish in their cases. The first is an E.H. Roth Guarneri student grade instrument. It has full tone on the lower pitches as well as on the higher ones up to the octave E in fourth (?) position. I play Dominants on it, silver on the G and D. It is warm in tone and is happy, full sounding with a lighter touch as well as when digging in with the bow. The other is a Koschat Stradivari with a much lighter sweeter tone. I play Prim with a Lisa E on it. I keep it with a Fishman bridge on it for those few times I need to plug in. Part of the reason I hang with it is that it was the fiddle that taught me how to play. I am a Baker fan, so double stops are part of the genre. Both fiddles play well on two strings. I am not, nor will likely be up to playing on three strings. Play on friends. R/
Fiddlin Bill - Yeah I agree, my Cao is not forgiving at all - you make a boo boo on intonation or bowing and it screams it. It does not reward sloppy playing. Took awhile for me to re-educate myself to playing it ( to my betterment). But Wow - get it right and its wonderful.
My current primary fiddle is an 1890 Wilhelm Durher German trade instrument. It was gifted to me a couple years ago. (I have posted photos on my page previously.) Prior to that it had not been played since the early 1930s when it was put in the case. It had not seen daylight (really!!!) until it was gifted to me. It is an Amati copy with a highly flamed one-piece back. The workmanship is impeccable.
After a cleaning and a proper set up including Helicores, it is just a remarkable instrument! In the two years since I have been playing it, the voice of the instrument has changed - dramatically!
Current assessment of tonal qualities:
Projection: The instrument projects!! Oh my, does it project! It easily fills a room. Some say that it is a banjo killer. I have found that an orchestra mute helps quite a bit is close confines and with quieter instruments. Hearing protection is recommended when not using a mute! I don't have to bear down on the bow (and over-play the instrument) in order to be heard in a jam!
Tone: The tone and volume is balanced across all strings. The tone across the strings is strong, clear and clean. Harmonic resonances are distinct. (It's really fun when it is precisely tuned -- er, noted!) There's a warmth that projects. Arpeggios are throaty and fun and resonant!
Articulation: The articulation is outstanding. Even though this related to both bow control and noting, the instrument articulates accurately. The notes are where they should be. Many times, my fingers are not.
Expression: Although this is a function of both the bow (speed, pressure and contact point) and the player, the instrument is very responsive to nuances in voicing. This is one place where bow control is imperative!! For me, it's like driving a Lamborghini or other high-performance automobile when you are accustomed to driving a VW Bug. It's hard to control. But what I have learned is that I need to let the bow do the work and let the instrument speak. It is so easy to overplay this instrument with excessive bow pressure!! (I'm still working on this.)
Finally, I feel that this instrument "barks." This was my initial opinion when I first got it and I have it still. I know that this is certainly related to the responsiveness and projection.
My one critique is that there are harsh overtones that I think are a product of the Helicores. This is more present on recordings. Steel strings tend have a harshness anyway, but they are also quite durable. So, this is a trade-off. I plan to meet with my luthier soon to discuss this and get his recommendations for strings that might have a little more warmth but still retains the projection and durability. FWIW: I had been using Prims (Medium and Orchestra) on my other fiddles. - a JBSchweitzer and a JTL Barnabetti. I like them. They are quite durable, but on the Durher, they did not play well, thus the Helicores.
Edited to add: The feel of the finish of this fiddle is silky. I like to caress it. It feels good and comfortable in my hands. What I really like is feeling the vibrations in my hand and on my neck/chin/shoulder as I play. It is subtle. If I am wearing a heavy shirt, I can't feel it. In order to feel the vibrations in my left hand, I need to hold the neck very gently. It's pretty cool to experience this.
Edited by - Fiddler on 04/24/2025 14:25:18
In order of cost --
An L.P. Schuster from the turn of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries. A typical German Trade fiddle. Heavily antiqued. It weighs a ton. Not much volume but what is there sounds sweet. It's the one I keep in cross.
Wilhelm Klier "Strad", Anno 2015. Bought new at an L.A. shop. Almost garishly high gloss finish over a suitably antiqued dark brown base layer. Yes, in Strad tradition the back of the fiddle is deeper than the top but the tone is decidedly mellow...mellow enough to put any and all Strad cliches to rest. Everybody who listens to it loves it. It is very easy to play, as well.
2002 Berndt Dimbath Model 88 bought new at another L.A. fiddle shop. Not overly expensive. Hints of greatness in the bright, assertive tone. Lovely workmanship. A treat to play. Truly the best of my three.
